SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6441

              As Passed Senate, February 13, 1998

Title:  An act relating to environmental protection change orders in public projects.

Brief Description:  Clarifying procedures for environmental protection change orders in public projects.

Sponsors:  Senators Oke, Prince, Haugen and Winsley; by request of Department of Transportation.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Transportation:  1/22/98, 1/29/98 [DP].

Passed Senate, 2/13/98, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Prince, Chair; Benton, Vice Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Goings, Haugen, Heavey, Horn, Jacobsen, Morton, Oke, Patterson, Prentice, Rasmussen and Sellar.

Staff:  Paul Neal (786-7315)

Background:  RCW 39.04.120 requires that all invitations for bid proposals for construction projects issued by the state or a political subdivision must include copies of all federal, state and local statutes, regulations and ordinances dealing with the prevention of pollution or preservation of natural resources as it relates to the particular project.  According to the Department of Transportation, the increase in federal, state and local regulation that has occurred since the current statute was enacted in 1973 makes it impractical to comply with the current requirements of the law.  Providing the required documentation would add thousands of pages to contract documents for bid invitations. 

Because of the amount of documentation required, the department is not currently fully complying with the statutory requirements.  The department does include the following documents with its invitations for bid proposals:  copies of required permits; excerpts of some relevant laws; and citations to other relevant laws.

Summary of Bill:  The requirement that all applicable environmental laws be included in contract documents is deleted.  The other provisions of the existing law remain intact.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill will enable DOT to provide notice to contractors with notice of environmental laws, rules and regulations that impact a particular project without requiring that copies of all provisions be copied and provided.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Jerry Alb, Tom Nelson, WSDOT; Duke Schaub, Associated General Contractors.